Prey

The latest film in the Predator film series has arrived and the first under Disney ownership since their purchase of 20th Century Fox. “Prey” takes a look back in order to move the franchise forward and it does this by setting in amongst the Comanche community roughly three hundred years in the past. The film follows a young girl named Naru (Amber Midthunder) who looks to become a warrior but in a male-dominated setting, only her brother is relatively supportive of her ambition and talks about when she will face a trial which she must endure to show her worth. At the same time, a Predator has arrived and begins to hunt the local wildlife. Naru sees evidence of his work and tries to convince the tribe that the carnage they are finding is not the work of a bear or a mountain lion as the community believes. When the nature of the threat manifests itself, Naru must find the courage and skills to track and face the enemy who threatens to destroy her tribe. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and he mixes a good amount of action along with a very interesting setting and characters to create an engaging tale. There are some moments that the FX was not as sharp as one might expect but the sequences with the Predator are filled with action and suspense and should make fans of the franchise very happy. The film at times does require some leaps of faith from the audience but in the end, “Prey” is a satisfying film that is superior to “The Predator” and rates as one of the stronger entries in the series and that the franchise is in good hands for the future. It will be interesting to see where the franchise goes next as there is lots of material for the franchise to explore, but for now, “Prey” is a refreshing take on the series and one fans should enjoy. 4 stars out of 5

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/prey-spoiler-free-review "Prey lives up to high expectations, being the first movie in the Predator saga to come close to or even surpass the original. Dan Trachtenberg is able to restore the franchise by focusing on a compelling protagonist and the motivational essence of the primary creature, as well as creating one of the most dazzling films of 2022. Both the cinematography and the score take advantage of the on-location filmmaking to create an almost epic atmosphere, whether through gorgeous wide shots that will leave every viewer amazed or through violent, macabre, exceptionally choreographed action sequences in conjunction with long takes. Amber Midthunder delivers one of the best performances of her career. For fans of the saga, horror, and/or action, it's not easy to find something better this year." Rating: A-

Sometimes it's best to let the dead rest in peace and such is the case, with the much exhumed, Predator franchise. The original has, quite deservedly,become a cult classic. What came after ranges from passable to truly awful acts of grave robbing. Prey is not awful. It has wonderful cinematic's and a superficially believable, 18th century world. A world on the cusp of modernisation and change but one that still holds on to, the fading reality embraced by its native inhabitants. Regrettably, that's far as we get. What comes after is a revisionist construct, that does not reflect life, as it was, in this era. Instead we get feminism, at a time when its presence would have been akin, to finding an automatic wrist watch, in an Egyptian tomb. If by some miracle you can overlook this nonsensical plot turn, it doesn't get any better. Our hero, a slim young girl, apparently has the wherewithal to take on and defeat, a savage interplanetary killer. A killer, as we can recall from the first film, who chewed through all but one member, of a hardcore team, of special forces mercenaries. Sure, Arnie's character did use old style tactics, in the end, to defeat the beast. That said, he's a huge, profoundly physical man, cast as someone with no end of combat training and even then he barely made it out alive. No matter, old world patriarchy defying girl, who has to run like stink from a simple bear the predator easily dispatches, magically gets the job done. Do I need say more? If utter suspension of disbelief is your thing this just might work for you. My advice, watch or re-watch the original and suspend your disbelief that the spin offs that came after, were ever made. 4/10.